


paint my love for you

by RENielsen



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Art, Enjoy!, Graffiti, M/M, Nouis, Strangers to Lovers, art gallery, the zouis is minimal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 09:14:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14638730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RENielsen/pseuds/RENielsen
Summary: Niall's a spray paint artist, and Louis falls in love with his art and with him.





	paint my love for you

**Author's Note:**

> Kinda proud. Wrote this whole thing today after not having written anything in ages. I've tried looking through for mistakes, but there still might be some. I apologize in advance! Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos always appreciated! :)

Louis dies a little inside when he hears what his date has planned for the evening. Some big new art gallery has its grand opening tonight, and apparently, Louis is going. Now it’s not that Louis is opposed to the idea of art, he’s just not all that interested in spending hours looking at some dusty paintings dine by some old boring fart, when he could be doing so much more interesting stuff. Louis isn’t really the type to walk around a small room sipping champagne and nodding at one canvas after the other, pretending to know the grand meaning the artist had behind it.

It just isn’t Louis’ deal at all. Especially not when it’s supposed to be a fourth date with this dude that he’s only seeing because one of his best friends, Perrie, thought they’d get along nicely. While Louis does think that he could be great friends with Zayn, and while the dude has the most gorgeous face with nice cheekbones and lashes, then there’s just no spark at all. He’s quite sure Zayn is of the same opinion, so Louis is mostly looking for a way to break the news to Perrie. The lass is gonna be devastated when Louis tells her that yet another one of her setups was a bummer.

“Do I really need to wear this?” Louis whines, pulling at the suit jacket. He’s already missing his too big hoodies. At least he was allowed to wear a pair of black skinny jeans. Because apparently, the event can’t figure out whether or not it wants to be fancy.

“Yes,” Zayn says rolling his eyes. He’s wearing a white suit jacket himself, which stand in big contrast to his skin tone. He’s looking fine as fuck, Louis doesn’t mind admitting that. “There’s a dress code at the gallery. They won’t let you in wearing what you usually do.” There’s mild laughter in his eyes, so Louis doesn’t really take it too personally. His style isn’t necessarily fancy, but Louis likes it just fine that way anyhow.

“Let’s get this over with,” he grumbles.

They’ve been at Louis flat for the last two hours, which is about as long as it took Zayn to convince Louis to put the suit jacket on so they could get going. Louis only did so because Zayn’s been talking about the showcase the last week over text, and Louis would have felt bad if he was the reason Zayn didn’t get to see it. Apparently, the artist is going to be there tonight, and Zayn’s been gushing over this like one of Louis’ sisters would over her favourite singer.

Zayn drives them, and Louis fiddles around on his phone the whole trip. They don’t really talk much, which is probably Louis’ fault as he’s too busy texting his friend, Harry, a lot of unhappy emojis that clearly show his distaste for the night. He gives up on it, when Harry text him back to stop being a dick and pay attention to his date. And then a second later to for fucks sake tell the lad, and Perrie, that this thing is not happening. Harry also just have to be so righteous all the damn time.

When they get there, Zayn smiles at him, and takes his hand as they walk inside. They have to stand in queue for what feels like ages. 

Louis is so ready to be proved right about his expectations, but there’s no dusty canvases, and no old boring painter talking with a boring voice about the meaning of his work. The crowd is mostly people Louis’ age, and the room is more than full. Everything is so much bigger than he’s thought it’d be.

“Is this graffiti?” Louis asks suddenly way too excited about the whole thing. The canvases are huge, and the painting varies from everything to people, to cities, to galaxies, to beautiful landscapes and silly motives.

“Well graffiti is illegal and done on public places,” Zayn says with a drawl, but he’s obviously amused with Louis. “Since everything is done on a canvas, then it isn’t really considered graffiti, but everything is done with spray paint, so you’re kinda right.”

“This is so cool,” Louis murmurs, totally ignoring everything Zayn just said.

It doesn’t take long before Louis is the one dragging Zayn from painting to painting, staring at everything in awe. There’s so much detail in every single image, something Louis would have never thought possible with spray paint of all things. He’s never done being surprised or impressed, because as they walk along, the images constantly swift between meaningful, to beautiful, to simply just fun and colourful. Not two is alike.

There’s suddenly not enough hours to this date, because Louis doesn’t want to stop looking at everything. He’d be here the whole night is he was allowed, still taking everything in when everyone else had left the building so he could get peace to do so. 

“I think you’re more in love with this place than me,” Zayn laughs, when he’s dragged back to a painting they’ve already seen.

“Shut up. Don’t you think this one is connected to the one over there?” Louis asks, pointing to the painting they just came from. This one’s got a single figure on the canvas, everything black white and grey except the two places of red, one from where the man’s heart is bleeding, and one where red tears are falling from his eyes. On the other one, is a woman with two children. She’s holding them in her arms, and the whole piece is full of colour. They’re crying red tears too, though.

“Could be,” he agrees with a hum. “Would’ve made more sense to place them together then, though.”

“No. It ruins the meaning, don’t you think? By placing them apart, it shows how the family has been too. Out of reach for what it once was. Really like this one,” Louis says, lingering for a moment more. Just as he’s about to turn around to continue on, he almost trips over this guy with puppy dog eyes and a nice smile.

“Hello,” he says and holds his hand out for Louis to take. “My name is Liam. I’m a friend of the artist.” The guy, Liam, nods towards the painting behind them.

“Louis,” Louis says a bit unsure. He’s not sure what’s happening. He still let go of Zayn's hand to shake Liam’s.

“You’re the first person I’ve heard tonight getting that right. Well done! Oh, he’s gonna love you.”

Suddenly Louis’ the one getting dragged along, and he mouths a ‘help me’ to Zayn who just laughs with a shrug. Traitor! Bloody traitor! Louis is getting kidnapped, and Zayn is just laughing at him!

They get to a halt seemingly as quickly as Liam started pulling Louis along. The lad points towards someone standing by one of the paintings with an older man. He’s the first person Louis’ seen who’s been wearing soft joggers and a t-shirt with spots of paint. He sticks out like a light in a dark place. He’s got blond hair, but the roots of the hair is a lot darker. Dyed, Louis guesses. He’s small compared to so many other people, though Louis suspects that they’ll be around the same height. Louis wants to see him smile, more than anything. He’s just got this feeling that the lad will have the most beautiful smile.

“Go say hi,” Liam says, pushing at him, before disappearing himself. Louis looks back at him a bit lost, but then walks closer to the two men. He stops when he hears the exchange, as he can’t help but think that it’s not really any of his business. He still can’t help listening in, though.

“Do you want my honest opinion?” the older man asks, with a bit of a snarl on his face. Louis doesn’t even know who he is, but he seems like a bit of a douche.

“Yes, please.”

“It’s worthless.”

“I know,” the small blond lad answers with a crooked smile on his lips. “I’d like to know anyway, though.”

Louis almost dies from laughter from that. He honestly hadn’t expected to hear those words leave the boy’s mouth. He seems so… innocent to Louis, but he didn’t even hesitate a second to get back at the old man trying to ruin his dreams. Louis doesn’t think he’s ever had so much respect for anyone before in his life.

The man splutters, getting all red in the head. The blond not as much as blinks as he keeps looking at the man innocently, like he’s just waiting for the man to say something. He never does, though, and quickly disappears. The guy just laughs to himself as he watches the man hurry away.

He makes a move to go on, so Louis quickly makes his way over to him, and lightly touches his shoulder to get his attention. The blond turns around and smiles at Louis.

“I like it, you know? It’s pretty cool,” Louis says, nodding towards the painting. “Don’t listen to grumpy. It’s really amazing.”

The small smile turns into a full-blown beam, and it seems so much more genuine than the one he sends the old man before. Louis can’t stop a smile on his own to show on his face.

“Thank you! The guy introduced himself as some important,” he makes quotation marks with his fingers when he says important, and Louis can’t stop the laugh that leaves him, “critic from some newspaper I’ve never even heard about before. Probably gonna get a bad review now.”

He just shrugs as he says it, and Louis just likes him even more because of it. It’s obviously not the reviews that are important for him. It’s the art. Louis admires that a lot. He can imagine how hard it’d be to make something, that be art or music or whatever really, and then just say fuck what people think about it. He’s not sure he’d be able to do so himself at least.

“Quite sure everyone else being here will make sure to let on how amazing your art is. I’ll make everyone I know go, don’t worry. Don’t need good reviews, do we now?”

The smile on the guy’s face just seems to get brighter and brighter by the minute. A small almost hidden dimple show on his cheeks. Louis’ ready to die. Or propose marriage. Maybe both. He’s like the sun. A warmth on Louis’ face, and almost too bright to look at.

Goddammit, Louis is supposed to be on a _date!_ He doesn’t even know the name of the guy! Bloody fucking hell.

“That’s good to know. I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying everything.”

“I have. I’m Louis by the way,” Louis says, silently hoping the lad will give him his own name.  Maybe he can sneak a look on one of the paintings. He’ll probably have signed his name there, right? Why’s no one bothered to tell him the name of the artist?! To be fair though, then Zayn probably would have if he hadn’t been sulking all the way over here.

“Hi Louis, I’m Niall,” he says softly in return. He offers Louis his hand, and Louis is embarrassed to admit how fast he reaches for it.

Niall’s hands are bigger than his own, and filled with calluses. Louis supposes that’s what happens when you use them all the time for stuff like this. He’s got warm fingers, though. Soft even with the calluses. Louis doesn’t want to let go. He’s just staring at their hands, before it finally hits him that he’s still holding Niall’s hand in his own. He lets go, and avoids Niall’s eyes.

Niall just seems to find it all funny, though, and is apparently out to end Louis as he slings an arm around Louis’ shoulder like they’ve been friends forever.

“So have you got a favourite? Painting that’s it?” Niall asks, and starts walking. Louis just follows, not really knowing what to do with himself.

“It’s hard picking a favourite. All of them is so different. All of them wants something different.” Louis starts moving with a purpose, though. Towards a certain painting. “I think that if I’d have to pick, though, then it’d probably be this one.”

They stop in front of one of the bigger canvases. In the middle of it, is a black and white boy standing, seemingly completely average and maybe even a bit boring. It’s what’s behind him that makes Louis love it. In what seems to be every possible colour, is the same boy over and over again, though this time there isn’t anything boring or average about him. He’s there with spray cans in his hands, there’s one playing guitar, one looking at stars. He’s there with tears, and he’s there with smiles. The list just keeps going. The same character parted into every single thing there’s hidden in what seems to be an average boy.

“There’s so much more than what meets the eye,” Louis murmurs thoughtfully then a bit louder he asks, “Is it supposed to be you?”

Niall looks at Louis thoughtfully for a moment, and then he turns his face towards the painting.

“It could be anyone, or no one at all. Suppose you’d have to stick around to find out if it’s me,” he says cheekily. He wriggles his eyebrows at Louis, and pokes his tongue out in a silly face. Louis could kiss him.

“You’d have to give me your number in that case. So I can keep in touch,” Louis smirks in return. He can do banter. Louis’ great at banter. It’s better that cute dimples and too much touching.

“Don’t know. For all I know then you could be crazy. Don’t know ya, do I?”

“We’re all a bit crazy, though, aren’t we? Nothing fun just being normal.”

“I suppose that’s true. You know what? I’ll give you my number, if you entertain me for the rest of the evening.”

“Actually I…” Louis starts with regret. He can’t just leave Zayn hanging, no matter how much he’d rather run off with Niall. Perrie would kill him for being rude.

“Oh there you are! Was starting to think that guy had actually kidnapped you,” a voice says and interrupts Louis. Just when you’re thinking of the devil. “Can see you’ve met the artist, though. Louis here has been admiring your work from the moment we got here. Was a hassle to get him here, though,” Zayn says with a laugh, words intended to Niall.

The smile is gone from the blond’s face, and a frown has replaced it. He looks disappointed as he watches how Zayn puts his arm around Louis’ waist. Louis wants to shrug Zayn of, and hit him for ruining his chance with Niall.

A more forced smile pops up on his face, like he’s really trying to stay cheery. It’s nothing compared to the one Louis saw just seconds ago. It hurts a little knowing that he’s probably at fault for that.

“That’s great. Always nice getting to be the reason for someone new falling in love with art. If you’ll excuse me, then I should probably see if I can get around talking to as many people as possible. Thank you for coming.” He seems so stiff, and awfully polite as he nods to the two of them and starts walking away.

It isn’t even a decision for Louis. He just acts without even thinking. He stands up on his tiptoes and plants a kiss on Zayns cheek. “I’m so sorry, but this is not working out. Thank you for taking me. Please do keep in touch. I’m gonna go snog that boy now, and possibly get hit in the process.”

He’s already walking away before he’s done talking, but he does get a glimpse of Zayn’s face as he leaves. He looks a bit confused, but mostly just amused. Not hurt, though, so Louis will probably only get hit a little when Perrie finds out. He can live with that.

Louis hurries after Niall, who suddenly seems to be the fastest person alive. “Goddammit!” he mutters, and picks up his pace. He first catches up with the other boy outside the gallery. “Niall!” he calls, and luckily it makes Niall stop up.

His hand reaches out and catches Niall’s. He pulls back gently, and Niall turns around while he does so. It results in him standing in Louis’ arms, their faces only a few inches from each other.  Louis takes the chance and slowly let their lips meet. He doesn’t get punched, so he takes that as a win. It does take Niall a minute to react, but when he do, he pulls Louis closer and softly kisses back.

Louis is breathless. He’s so in awe. He pulls away, because if he hadn’t, he’s sure he would’ve fainted.

“Is the offer still up? The rest of the night in your company, for your number? Because I’d like to take you up on it, if it is,” Louis murmurs, meeting Niall’s lips again just for a second. Can’t help himself with the boy so close.

“What about…” Niall starts, but Louis stops him with another kiss.

“He doesn’t matter. Told him that we wouldn’t work, and that I’d go snog you instead. If you’re okay with that, that’s it.”

That one smile, the genuine one with the dimple showing, comes back on Niall’s face. Louis could watch him smile like that forever and ever, if it’s possible. Hopefully Niall will let him.

“Maybe. Let’s see where the night takes us,” he teases, but Louis’ got a feeling that he’ll probably not be that hard to convince after all.

“And where will the night take us?” Louis asks, stretching his arms out. “So many possibilities, aren’t there?”

Niall bites his lip, then lights up. “I’ve got an idea. Wait here!” he says, before running back into the gallery.

Louis’ a bit disappointed to see him go, but he waits, impatiently might he add, for him to come back out anyway. It takes a couple of minutes, but when he finally does come out, it’s with a bag over his shoulder. Louis’ curious, wants to ask what’s in there, but Niall shakes his head before he can even ask, so he doesn’t. Louis doesn’t need to be told to follow along, but he doesn’t really complain either, when Niall takes his hand and leads him along.

He’s quick, and light on his feet. He’s humming, and almost seems to be dancing down the street, making sure to keep looking back at Louis every few seconds to send him a smile. Louis’ heart flutters every time.

“Where are we going?” he asks with a laugh.

“One of my favourite places,” is all Niall is willing to give him. So he waits and sees, follows along unknowingly.

It takes a while, and a lot of walking, but Louis is enjoying every single second of it. Niall babbles about one thing after the other. He talks about his art, music, space, and sports. He never seems to get at loss of things to say, but that’s okay because Louis might be in love with the faint accent in his voice, and the flow which the words come. It’s like music to Louis’ ears.

“Almost there,” Niall says, pointing towards the playground on the other side of the street. Louis’ a bit confused, but still follows willingly, when Niall climbs into the tunnel under the slide. On the other side of the tunnel is a big climbing wall. Louis’ jaw drops. Every inch of it is beautifully covered in colourful spray paint.

“This is amazing. Did you do this?” Louis asks breathlessly.

“Most of it. A couple of other people have done a bit too. We keep changing it, though, when we’ve got the time. No one ever removes it, as long as the stuff we make is decent. The kids love how it changes all the time. Sometimes I come here just to see their reaction. It’s better than doing the gallery. There’s no criticism. No ‘spray paint isn’t art’. There’s only laughter, fun and awed faces. It’s rare to find that in adults.” Niall smiles softly, and uses his free hand to touch Louis’ lips with his fingertips. “I like how you’ve got the same reaction.”

Louis laughs, and then bites at Niall’s fingers, which makes him retreat quickly. “You saying I’m acting like a kid?”

“You saying you don’t think I’m right?” Niall says with raised eyebrows.

Louis doesn’t answer, and instead just keeps chasing Niall’s fingers with his teeth. It probably doesn’t do anything good against Niall’s argument. Good thing, that Louis doesn’t really care all that much. Niall seems to be enjoying his antics anyway.  

“C’mon, kiddo, let’s make something fun for the actual kids,” he chuckles, and points to the bag hanging on his shoulder.

He puts the bag on the ground, and kneels down beside it. Quickly he begins pulling out spray cans, a folder, and two respirators.

“Have fun,” Niall says as he hands over one of the respirators, and puts the other one on.

“I don’t know how to do this! I’m gonna ruin all the great work!” Louis protests. He doesn’t want to be the reason all the pretty pictures get ruined. He can just watch Niall. Probably would prefer that anyway. Louis can imagine watching him work is one hell of a sight.

Niall gives him the folder, and Louis looks at him for a second before opening it. It’s filled with paper with all kinds of cut out things. Small animals, people and things.

“It’s stencils,” Niall explains. It’s a bit harder to make out what he’s saying with the mask over his mouth, but not even close to as hard as Louis would have thought. “Hold it against the wall, and spray inside the cut out felt. I haven’t used any of them before, so have fun with it. Or just use your imagination. If it ends up badly, then it’ll be gone before the week is over. As I said then we change the wall constantly. Just don’t do dicks or anything like that. I’d rather that I can keep coming here without having to look over my shoulder.”

As Niall starts shaking the cans, Louis looks through the folder. He finds one with a guy on a skateboard, which is kinda fun because it reminds him of his tattoo with a stickman skateboarding. It seems to be several layers, though, and Louis isn’t really sure how to do that.

Niall must have spotted his trouble, because suddenly he’s right beside Louis. He takes the stencil and gives it a considering look.

“It seems kinda fitting actually. Okay, you take this one first. I’d suggest a middle tone. So if you’re doing black and white, then use a grey to the bottom, maybe a white to the second layer, and the black to the third layer. You can use other colours, if you’d like. Bottom layer first. Wait for it to dry, and then the next one. Okay?”

“Yessir,” Louis says, saluting as he does so. It makes Niall laughs which is worth everything. He finds a can that says grey and starts shaking it, because he doesn’t want to ruin Niall’s art and decides just to follow the other lad’s advice. He puts on the mask when he deems the can shaken enough.

With his tongue stuck out behind the mask, Louis carefully finds a spot on the wall where he won’t cover up too much, and then slowly starts spraying inside the stencil. When the whole thing is filled out, he slowly removes it from the wall. He’s got a bit smeared out where it shouldn’t be, but overall then it looks like the figure cut out on the paper.

While he waits for the first layer to dry a bit, Louis turns his attention towards Niall. The blond is totally ignoring the stencils, as seems to be doing the outlines of a big monster. A dragon, Louis recons, when Niall starts doing wings on the back.

It takes Louis about as long to fill out the next two layers of the picture he’s making, as it does Niall making the whole damn dragon. To be fair, though, then Louis keeps getting distracted with the way Niall stretches when he has to reach a high place, which makes Louis able to see the lower part of his back. How’s he supposed to be able to concentrate like that?!

The skateboarder turns out absolutely sick, which Louis can’t really take much credit for really, but it’s still nothing compared to the finished dragon Niall’s done. At the end, Louis watches as Niall scribbles an NH by the dragon's claws. When Louis looks over the wall he notices how many of the pictures has a similar signature.

“You gotta sign it,” Niall says, and hands over the black spray can. Instead of writing his name or initials, Louis puts a smiley face with two x’s for its eyes. “It looks great, Lou! Do I have to look out for the new competition now?”

“Quite sure you’ve got nothing to worry about, love,” Louis grins. Louis will probably never be a great artist, but he really wouldn’t mind tagging along every time Niall’s out and about. He wouldn’t mind getting to just sit and watch him as he works on his canvases either. Or generally just spend every possible second with the boy.

He’s getting ahead of himself, but there’s just something about the boy that drags Louis towards him. Like a moth to the fire, though Louis’ got no concern that Niall will end up burning him.

They pack everything back into the bag, and Louis can still smell the paint in the air when he hands over the respirator to Niall. It’s not bothersome, though, and Louis’ got no doubt that the smell will be gone before morning settles in.

“What now?” Louis asks as Niall swings the bag over his shoulder.

“Suppose I’ll give you my number, and snog you a little before we part ways so I’m sure you’ll give me a call?”

“Sounds perfect to me,” Louis hums in return, smile stuck on his face, and his heart skipping a beat. And it really does sound perfect.


End file.
